This is Annie's journal in written letters form, as she records memories and inspirations along the way.

Thursday, 11 February 2016

We've been shopping

Dear Family & Friends

We don't normally enjoy shopping but recently we had the most fun shopping spree when we stumble over a real bargain sales. So, guessed what we did?...we brought home a lot of summer clothes all marked down to just a fraction of the price. Between a mother and two daughters, we amassed eight outfits for a mere 40 leva!! (15 pounds) It was the good price that gave us as much joy out of it all!

Sales tags all marked down to about a couple of quids only

The following week, we went for another shopping expedition...another unusual one. I will be recording this venture for our future reference and will probably set up another blog for this. We have been saving part of our income, although it's not that much, it grew enough to invest on a small city apartment for a passive income source.

one of the city Apartment complex visited

If we were in UK, it would be impossible to buy a property with just a small savings...but it's enough to buy a new small city apartment in Bulgaria. We gave it a lot of thoughts, stayed up all night to do the calculation of our hard earned income. The yield/return on this investment was a good 7 to 8 percent and it's within our means. With the rental income, the cost could be recovered in 12 years. So, we set and visited apartment complexes in the city and have finally decided which one to go for.

Taking details of the bare bone apartment with the agent

The process is not as straightforward as in the UK...but we will get everything sorted, with a few white hairs - till the contract is secured and finalized. Afterwards, we will be doing some basic works ourselves like putting on wood flooring, tiling the bathroom, installing kitchen/bathroom units, which is the norm here when you buy a new apartment. So, that's probably where you will find us on the weekends in the coming months!!

For now, we got to chill out. March is not too far away now...spring is arriving and I will be enjoying the dirt and seeds in our garden for some therapy. So far, I managed to sneak 3 days transplanting and propagating bulbs and sturdy plants around. It's time to start sowing seeds -indoor, and check what plants have survived the winter cold -outdoor.

Hope you are looking forward to more positive good days ahead of you too. Stay blessed.

Ah...Kathy, I heard that 'great minds think alike' ;P The garden can always wait,specially with the long Chinese New Year celebration time...weeds can sometimes be a challenge but don't be overcomed by it...still got to enjoy your garden:)